Maker Background
Simonazzi is one of the main names of the 20th century Emilian School of violin making, and combines in his work some aspects from the previous Mantuan modern school, inherited from his master.
Simonazzi is one of the main names of the 20th century Emilian School of violin making, and also combines in his work some aspects of the previous Mantuan modern school, inherited from his master Scarampella.
It seems that his first insights inside the violin making world were given by his father, who was a Double Bass player who learned the craft during his time in France and Egypt. But his actual learning in violin making came right after when he started to frequently visit Master Scarampella's workshop in Mantua, to whom he actually started to work for. One of the main pupils of Stefano Scarampella, Amedeo Simonazzi seems to have had no students during his career, despite his own son Riccardo, for a small period. By far one of the most prolific makers of the 20th century, it is calculated that he made between 400 and 500 instruments through his very long carrer, from his young age until his death in 1974 at the age of 83.
